


A father's worry

by YvY91



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Adoption, Amanda is evil, Angst, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Head Injury, Hospitalization, Hurt Gavin Reed, Hurt Nines, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Mind Control, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Pre-Relationship, Seizures, Serious Injuries, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-02-16 08:51:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18688177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YvY91/pseuds/YvY91
Summary: Jeffrey Fowler was not someone who got scared easily, but the feeling of his adopted son's heart cease to beat underneath his hand, made him lose his composure.°°°°°°°°°°Please read the notes in the first chapter, thanks.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I just wanted to let you know that I edited the whole story. There were so many spelling mistakes in here, cringe. There are still quite a few left, but I hope it is a little better now. And while I tried to fix my mistakes, I added and changed quite a bit because I was a little dissatisfied with it. 
> 
> I will delete the Notes after I uploaded the next chapter. 
> 
> °°°°°°°°  
> Hey, here is my second story :)
> 
> I am not sure yet how many chapters there will be...  
> Still working on it !
> 
> I hope you enjoy !

The first thing Gavin felt when he came to himself was a massive headache that seemed to swallow his entire brain and turned it into mush. A curse left his slightly parted lips as he turned under his bed cover in an attempt to get a little more sleep. His muscles protested with each movement, causing the man to let out a annoyed groan.

His thoughts wandered back to the last few days and how incredibly taxing they had been, but in the end, he and the RK900, or Nines as he liked to call him, closed their case.

Finally, he had one day off and yet he had to think about the work and his partner.

If somebody had told him a few months ago that he would work with an android and not shoot him in the first few days, he would have laughed and punched them in the face.

When Fowler called him to his office, that day the RK900 was supposed to start working, he already knew what was coming.

And Gavin, like the asshole that he liked to play and sometimes really was, threw a fit that could be heard through the darkened glass, some of the officers looked up to the closed door and waited with bated breath, but in the end he relented, he knew when a fight was lost.

As it turned out, said android wasn't that bad, Nines was still new to deviancy and sometimes moved, or talked more like a machine than the other androids that worked at the DPD, but he was trying.

And now, here he was. Gavin had a partner that he could trust with his life and if he was honest with himself, he liked the stupid tin can. He really did, maybe more than he should. It was difficult for him to keep it to himself, but he was sure that Nines didn't feel the same and even if he did, Gavin didn't want to burden him even more. Most of the time he was an emotional wreck, closed off to keep everyone at distance. Nines could definitely do better than to be with someone like him.   

He turned again and pushed his covers away, he couldn't get any sleep anyway. Gavin moved his heavy limbs out of the bed and almost dropped to his knees when his brain was throbbed in agony. The pain brought tears to his eyes and he blinked them away as he slowly inhaled and exhaled until the pain receded enough.

After Gavin had completed his morning routine, he sat down at his kitchen table and sipped slowly at the still too hot coffee when his phone suddenly rang. He looked down, it was the captain.

Gavin huffed, of course he was called to work on his day off. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Gavin, are you at home?"

Gavin frowned, Fowler only called him by his first name in private, or if something bad had happened.

"Yes, I am. What's going on? Something happened ?"

"No, I just wanted to ask if I can come over later. I wanted to talk to you." Fowler's voice was as strict as always.

"Yeah, sure."

"Alright, see you later," and with that he hang up.

Gavin stared at his phone in confusion, the last time the Captain was at his apartment, was when he moved in a year ago.

Gavin cursed again, this goddamn headache was getting to him.

Maybe he should have checked himself out at the hospital after that hit to the backside of his head, a courtesy from the suspect the day before. He even pushed Nines away, when the android tried to scan him for injuries.

Gavin went over to his couch, he had a few hours left before Jeffrey would arrive. He lay down, maybe an hour of rest would help relieve the pulsing pain in his head.

While he tried to get some rest, he thought about his boss, because what no one knew was that he was adopted by Jeffrey Fowler.

It was kept secret, both of them did not want anyone knowing. Gavin wanted to work in peace. He didn't want to hear he only got the title as detective because his adoptive father pulled a few strings.

Jeffrey saved his sorry ass years ago, when he was a teen, high on drugs, lying in his own vomit in some alley.

No one wanted Gavin when he was a kid, his mum left when he was six years old and after that, his life turned to an endless nightmare. His father was an abusive alcoholic and the beating that he received could still be seen by the scars that would forever mark his body.

Gavin jumped awake by the sound of his phone ringing, Jeffrey texted him, he would be here in five minutes.

He slept for almost four hours....shit.

He pushed himself up and doubled over, his whole sight wavered and he almost crashed face first on the glass table. Gavin managed to stand up straight and slowly went to the bathroom, turning the lights on... he looked like he was sick and punched the face.

Dark circles discolored the skin under his eyes worse than usual... and what was that ? A large bruise that travelled from behind the back of his neck just disappear behind his right ear. Shit...

Gavin took two painkillers from his cabinet and swallowed them dry. He should have told Jeffrey to come for a visit tomorrow, too late now.

Gavin was on his way to the kitchen when he heard keys at his door and Jeffrey let himself in a second later.

"Gavin?" his adoptive father's voice didn't sound angry, Gavin sighted in relieve.

"In the kitchen"

The older man came into view, he had a bag of food in one hand and put it on the kitchen table.

When the smell of food reached the detective he almost started to gag. Saliva collected on the back of his tongue and he swallowed hard to avoid vomiting in front of Jeffrey.

Jeffrey was still standing by the kitchen table, watching Gavin attentively.

"What ...," Gavin swallowed again as he felt heat spreading through his body, "What did you want to talk about?"  


He sat down at the kitchen table without waiting for Jeffrey to say something and watched as the older man sat down in front of him with a sigh.

"Gavin, are you alright? The bruises at your neck...did you let that check out?" Jeffrey knew Gavin didn't and had his 'I AM YOUR BOSS ....DON'T BULLSHIT ME' face on.

Gavin looked up from the table and almost stopped in his movements as his vision started to dim at the edge, he blinked a few times to clear his vision,  "No I didn't, it's nothing, just a bruise and a little headache, sooo...talking?"

For a moment there was silence between the two before Jeffrey started to speak, "Well, you haven't always made it easy for me and your colleagues in the years, but I've seen you working with Nines in the past few months, and I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you, kid. I felt like it could work between the two of you, and I know you've worked hard and wanted to take the sergeant exam, and now, I think you're ready. So, what do you think?"

Gavin thought he slipped into the twilight zone, or some shit... he knew his adoptive dad cared for him and even loved him like his own son. Nowadays it was rare to hear that from the older man and now he asked him if he wanted to take the sergeant exam...fuck

"Y-Yeah, you know I.... I would really like to take the exam," Gavin talked so fast he started to stumble over his own words, but he was so goddamn happy. So happy he could feel tears burning in his eyes and for a moment he almost forgot about the crippling pain in the back of his head.

It was as if the older man could read Gavin's mind and saw the pain he was in. The small smile that lifted one side of Jeffrey's lips vanished and his whole face turned into a frown. "Gavin, I think I should take you to a hospital, you look like you're going to pass out."

Gavin tensed, he hated hospitals, he had spend so many days in there as a child and teenager, just the thought of going there was nerve-wracking. His hands gripped almost automatically at the table, he knew that the older man would take him there kicking and screaming if he had to.

The detective swallowed."Please, no hospital, just, -" The younger man was ashamed, he did not like to ask for help, but he would slip off his damn chair as his world tilted once more and dark spots invaded his sight. "I think a bit of sleep will help, I told you it's just a bit of a headache," mumbled Gavin.

It was more than a mild concussion... moderate at least, and they both knew that.

The older man groaned, but relented, "Come on, kid. Up." Jeffrey helped Gavin get up and they both went to Gavin's bedroom where Jeffrey Gavin sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hmm, you gonna read me a story too?" asked Gavin as he slipped under his blanket and groaned in relief, he could finally close his eyes.

"Shut up brat, get some rest. I will wake you in an hour. You have a concussion, you know the drill."

Jeffrey turned to leave the room, but paused, he didn't want the leave his kid alone, so he went to sit down on the big chair in the corner of Gavin's bedroom, where the older man then took his phone and canceled all appointments for the next day. He sighed, Gavin was always so stubborn.

An hour passed when he reminded himself to check on Gavin. He got up and walked over to the bed where he sat down carefully on the edge before placing a hand on Gavin's shoulder. "Gavin, hey, wake up for me, okay?" the older man kept his voice so quiet while he talked to the younger man and for a moment he thought that none of his officers at the DPD would believe that he could do that.

When Jeffrey got no reaction from the man under his hand he raised his voice a bit and Gavin started to mumble. The mumbled words were so slurred that the older man gripped softly at Gavin's shoulder in worry.

Slowly, two dazed gray eyes looked up at him and Jeffrey could practically see the color drain out off Gavin's face turn pale, but even worse was the sight of the differently dilated pupils.

"Hey, kid, look at me. Do you know where you are?" Jeffrey asked the younger man.

Gavin tried to focus, he knew that he was at home? Jeffrey's lips were moving, but he could only understand half of what was said and when he tried to answer no words left him.

Jeffrey brushed a few strands of hair away from Gavin's forehead and let his hand rest there for a moment. He saw that Gavin was trying to stay awake and he knew he had to call an ambulance as soon as possible. When Gavin closed his eyes, he got up to get his cell phone and called for an ambulance.

Fowler was not someone who got scared easily, but when he saw that Gavin's body started to shake.... he felt like his own heart stopped in fear.  

His kid had a seizure.

The older man quickly made his way over to Gavin's side, he stood beside the bed and could only watch as Gavin's limbs and head jerked uncontrollable.

The man leaned against the mattress a little to prevent Gavin from throwing himself out of the bed. "Shhhh...Gavin, everything is going to be okay...," Jeffrey didn't know who he was trying to calm down with his words, Gavin or himself, because he was sure that Gavin could not hear him.

When the seizure finally stopped, the older man held his right hand over Gavin's chest to let it rest above Gavin's heart. The younger man's heart was beating very fast, but Gavin was alive and breathing, that was all that mattered.

"Gavin, can you hear me?" There was no reaction at all and the man glanced at the clock on the bedside table, he had called for the ambulance four minutes ago. "Gavin, please wake up, shit. Come on, kid. You make me say please..." Jeffrey let his other hand rest on Gavin's head, he could feel the soft hair and the warm skin under it.

He was worried! He was afraid!

And it showed.

You could see it in Jeffrey's face, on his whole posture.

Suddenly, the heart under his right hand slowed...and slowed...and then it stopped.


	2. Chapter 2

No...no..no..no..no..no....Please...no. The words were like an endless mantra of denial that went through his mind as he tried to detect a heartbeat or breathing under his trembling hands, but there was nothing.

The older man leaned over Gavin's still body and placed his hands on the unmoving chest to start CPR. Gavin's position on the mattress was not ideal, but the older man had neither the time nor the room to lay him on the floor.

Jeffrey counted and muttered under his breath while his hands kept pushing on Gavin's chest and when he finally counted to thirty he tilted Gavin's head up a bit to seal his lips over the cooling ones of the younger man. He breathed two times to deliver the needed air into Gavin's still lungs, and repeat.

His mind started to scream at him, what if Gavin died today. What if his son didn't wake up again, and damn, he knew that he rarely showed affection, but he loved this stubborn man as if he were his own son, he didn't want to lose him.

The longer those thoughts and the possibility of Gavin's imminent death went through Jeffrey's head the more he felt himself crack until he started to cry, little drops of hot tears ran down his face and landed on Gavin's chest.

He felt Gavin's ribs bow under the constant pressure until one gave way with a sickening crack. The sudden noise almost stopped Jeffrey in his movements and he inhaled sharply. Oh god! He was breaking his son's ribs, he knew it was necessary, but it didn't help to ease the onslaught of guilt knowing that he had hurt Gavin even more.

The sudden knocking sound on the front door made him look up with the realization that he had forgotten to open the door for the paramedics. He let his eyes linger on Gavin's face for a second before he ran to the door to open it  and led the paramedics into the bedroom while he spoke to them, "Gavin Reed, Male. 37 years old, he has a concussion and had a seizure 4 minutes ago, he is in cardiac arrest. No known allergies...," the longer Jeffrey spoke, the shakier his voice became.

He watched as the paramedics crowded into the small bedroom and everything blurred. Jeffrey could only stand helplessly at the doorframe and watch as the paramedics tried to save his son's life. Tears started to collect at the back his eyes again as he lost his composure. He observed as they connected Gavin's lifeless body to various devices, but Jeffrey's eyes were mostly fixed on the ambu-bag over his son's face, which was compressed again and again to force air into unmoving lungs.   

The paramedics worked quickly and in a matter of minutes they took Gavin with them while they were still trying to revive him. Jeffrey hurried after them after he closed Gavin's front door, when he arrived on the street he saw the ambulance drive away at full speed.

He ran to his car and followed the ambulance as fast as he could while only one thought repeated itself over and over again in his mind. What if Gavin died...What if...What if...!?

When he arrived at the hospital and "parked" his car, he ran after the paramedics, he just wanted to know if Gavin was alive!

Jeffrey didn't realize where he was going until a voice interrupted him, "Sir, you are not allowed to be in here," he focused on the voice that addressed him, and saw an older nurse standing in front of him. She looked at him sympathetically and raised one hand in an appeasing manner. "Sir, I know you want to go in there, but please, you have to wait here. Someone will come to you as soon as possible and talk to you, I promise." with that she turned around and left.

Jeffrey stood in front of the closed door and didn't know what to do, he turned around thinking.  He could either sit down and wait here alone, since there were no other relatives in Gavin's life he could call or go outside.

He decided to go outside to park his car, it was still where he had left it, and then sat still for a few moments, his hands gripped the steering wheel so tight he could feel the blood leave his finger. He hit the horn with a fist and cursed softly under his breath, then he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the first number that came to his mind.

The dial tone echoed through the silence in the car until Hank's rough voice greeted him, "Jeff?" 

"Jeffrey?" asked Hank again when he received no response after a few seconds.  

Fowler swallowed before he answered, "Hank..." shit, his own voice sounded teary and cracked at the end.

Jeffrey could hear the man moving around on the other line, "Jeff !? What happened? What's wrong?" something that sounded like worry appeared in Hank's usually gruff tone.

"Is RK900 with you?" was the first thing he said to Hank, who in turn let out a small huff, "Nines? Yes, he is. Jeffrey, what's going on?"

Fowler leaned back to let his head rest against the headrest of his driver's seat, "Gavin is in the hospital. I don't know if...I -Hank ..."

Anderson muttered under his breath and let out another curse, "Shit, what happened?" Fowler wanted to answer but stopped when he heard Hank talking in the background, probably with one of the two androids that were with him. "Okay, Jeff, wait there, we are on the way." Fowler answered with a short, "Alright", and ended the call.

Another few minutes passed in silence and it was like Jeffrey's mind turned on autopilot, he went back to the waiting area, sat down, and anxiously began counting the minutes in which he was waiting for new information about his son.

"Jeff?" a familiar voice called out to him. He looked up and saw Hank standing beside him with the two RK units. The LEDs of the androids kept changing from yellow to red and back again, whether out of worry or because the two androids were communicating with each other, Jeffrey couldn't tell.

Hank stood beside Fowler for almost two minutes until he sat down next to the other, he had been watching Jeffrey's face closely since they arrived, and if Hank was honest with himself, he had never seen Jeffrey like that. It was as if his old friend had aged ten years since he had last seen him a few hours ago.

Anderson moved around on his seat and leaned forward a bit, "Jeffrey, what happened?!"

Fowler looked around and tried to gather his thoughts before he recounted the events of the last hour. While Jeffrey talked, Nine's LED turned to a dark red and didn't change back. Connor, who had realized his brother's rapidly increasing levels of stress, placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, hoping to calm him down at least somewhat. The Rk800 knew that Nines liked detective Reed, maybe even more than just a friend.

When Jeffrey was done, three worried faces looked back at him.

"But why were you in Gavin's apartment? Did he call you for help?" Hank's eyebrows lifted slightly as he asked.

Fowler knew that question would come as he did not yet explain why he was with Gavin to begin with. The promise that he had once given his son not to reveal Gavin's adoption , unless it was really necessary came to his mind.

And the uncertainty over what might happen in the next few hours as well as the fact that Gavin now had an android as a partner, who surely would have found out sooner or later anyway, made his decision at least a little bit easier.

Fowler clasped his hands together and cleared his throat, "Okay, listen, what I'm going to tell you now will NOT be repeated at anyone else in the precinct, am I clear?" Jeffrey's voice and face were serious.

All three nodded and Fowler decided to keep things as short as possible. "Gavin is my adopted son, I visited him because I wanted to talk to him about his future at the DPD."

Three pairs of eyes stared at him as if he had told them a bad joke, but Hank was the first to react. "Are you shitting me right now, Jeff? I can't -," Hank swallowed heavily, "How long do we know each other? When did you adopt him?" there were so many more questions Hank wanted to ask his best and oldest friend.

Hank felt betrayed. Was he not trustworthy enough? Why hadn't Jeffrey told him about the adoption and how had he managed to keep this secret for so long. Hank was about to open his mouth again, but the look he received from Jeff told him to shut up right now.

And he did. He knew better by now not to force his friend to talk. Hank mumbled under his breath as he leaned back in his chair to let his head rest on the wall behind him. He thought about what he just heard, it was confusing. The white-haired man looked at the two androids who had now sat down to his left.

He watched as Connor held Nine's hand in his. The skin on both of their hands had peeled away as they interfaced with each other. Whatever Connor was doing, Hank was sure it was to keep Nine's stress level down. He remembered the panic on Nine's face when he told them they had to go the hospital because something had happened to Gavin.

Hank was not stupid, he knew that Nines had developed feelings for Gavin over the course of the last few months and even Gavin seemed to get his act together, the other younger detective had almost completely stopped acting like an asshole all the time.

"Hank," Jeffrey waited for his friend to look at him before continuing, "I know you want answers, and I will tell you everything, but not here, not now, I just want-."

Hank raised a hand to interrupt his friend, "Listen, Jeff, I don't know what to think, it's kinda funny. I always thought you would talk to me about such important things, but I'm not angry. I'm sure you had your reasons to keep this secret. Tell me or us if you feel ready, alright?"

Hank huffed and smiled sadly, "So, I guess that's why you never wanted to spend Christmas with me and Cole when I invited you. You always spent it with Gavin." Jeffrey nodded and glanced to the floor. It was true, he was invited to Christmas every year, at least until Cole's death. Hank's son had been his godson and a good kid, his death was a shock and Hank's life spiraled out of Control for many years after.

Jeffrey thought about the possibility of losing Gavin. What would have happened if he had not visited his son? Would Gavin now lie cold and lifeless in his apartment until Jeffrey found his dead body?  The man shuddered at the thought of holding his son's dead body in his hands.  Jeffrey let out a sigh to calm his thoughts, still, why was it always Gavin getting hurt?

All three of them waited for news of Gavin's condition, and as the minutes turned to hours, Jeffrey prayed that he would have another chance to tell Gavin that he was proud of him and that he loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)  
> Hope you still like it ?
> 
> I'm still not sure how long this Story will be !
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left Kudos and/or a comment, they make me so happy 
> 
> English is not my mother language, i try not to make too many spelling mistakes ….


	3. Chapter 3

Jeffrey was lost in thoughts when the voice of an older man interrupted him, "Excuse me, I am looking for...Mr. Jeffrey Fowler?" 

Fowler looked up and nodded in acknowledgment, his back ached briefly as he got up from the chair he had been sitting on for hours now while in the background a muttered, "Fuckin' finally," from Hank could be heard.

"Mr. Fowler, my name is Dr. Hartmann, I am Mr. Reed's attending doctor." The doctor had his eyes fixed on Hank and the two androids before he looked back towards Fowler again.  Dr. Hartmann's posture was stiff and his face seemed to show no emotions as he waited for Fowler to confirm that he could speak freely about Gavin's condition.

"You can tell us," Jeffrey was afraid to ask the next question and tried to keep his voice steady, "Is Gavin alive?" 

There was a short pause that made Fowler's heart lurch inside his chest and Dr. Hartmann switched the folder he held in his right hand to the left before he answered, "Yes, he is."

Jeffrey took a deep breath to gather himself and glanced at Hank, who was standing next to him now. Right then, Jeffrey was glad he'd called his friend, even if he did not say it out loud, he needed the emotional support.  

"Mr. Fowler, I will be honest with you, the next few hours will be critical. Mr. Reed has a severe concussion. The head injury he received led to medium-sized swelling in his brain, which in turn caused the seizures. Mr. Reed is not able breathe on his own due to the swelling, and remains connected to a Ventilator for the time being." the doctor stopped to take a look at everyone around him and waited a few moments for the two men and androids to process the news, before continuing.

"We have Mr. Reed on anticonvulsants and medication to reduce the swelling in his brain. Right now, we can only wait for Mr. Reed to regain consciousness to check for possible brain damage."

While the doctor was still talking, Hank stepped even closer to his friend's side to lay a hand on his shoulder. They had known each other for a long time, but Hank had never seen Jeffrey cry so much, it seemed as if the normally serious-acting man had reached his limits.

Meanwhile, Fowler waited for Dr. Hartmann to finish speaking, he just wanted to see his son, knowing that Gavin was still alive made him itch to just walk to wherever he was right now, "Can I see him?"

The doctor nodded without hesitation, "Of course, a nurse will bring you to his room in a few minutes. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me or one of the nurses."

They were left standing in the waiting area. Hank, who still had one hand on Jeffrey's shoulder, looked over to Connor and Nines and saw Connor  talking quietly to the younger android. He could see how worry etched itself on Connor's face, which suggested that Nine's stress levels were still too high. Nine's nodded to something Connor had said and his LED turned from red to a dark yellow. 

Hank's attention was directed back to Jeffrey as the man shrugged Hank's hand from his shoulder, dark brown eyes fixed on him, "Hank, I need a favor." 

"What do you need?" Hank asked.

"Hank, you need to be at the precinct tomorrow, I need someone I trust to keep an eye on everything. I will not leave until I know for sure that the stupid kid won't die," Jeffrey explained in a low tone and Hank assured his friend to keep an eye out. Although, he would have done it anyway, even without Jeffrey asking. Hank knew what it felt like not knowing if a loved one would survive or not.

A short time later, a tired-looking nurse approached them to take them to the I.C.U. "Mr. Reed is in room 231. We only allow two person to visit at the same time, please call if you need something."

They stood in front of the closed door and Jeffrey could already guess what awaited him on the other side, he had seen Gavin hurt many times in the past, though never as serious as now. He looked back at Hank, quietly asking him to enter with him, and received a short nod in return.

Both entered the room silently and while Jeffrey cursed inwardly he could hear Hank behind him with a whispered, "Argh, damn, Reed." 

Jeffrey looked closely at his son, if he didn't know better, he would think that person in the hospital bed wasn't Gavin, he looked awful, he was so pale that the scars on his face looked like they were only a few weeks old.

But the worst part was that his kid looked dead and he would be dead if it wasn't for the breathing tube and ventilator that kept breathing for him.

Jeffrey walked around to take a seat beside the right side of the bed while Hank leaned against the wall beside the door.

A few minutes passed while the steady beeping sound of the heart rate monitor filled the room with noises that were reassuring and unbearable at the same time. Jeffrey looked down to Gavin's bed and saw his son's hand laying limp on the sheet. He hesitated a moment before he reached for it. Squeezing the fingers gently between his own he noticed how cold the skin felt. 

Jeffrey tried to remember when he had last touched Gavin, whether it was a hug, a pat on the shoulder, or just a damn handshake, and he shook his head when he realized how long ago it had been.

He looked at Hank, who, lost in thought, was still leaning against the wall before he averted his gaze to stare at Gavin's hand, which he still held in his. The silence in the room and between Hank and him was unpleasant. Seeing that they were alone right now and he still owed his friend a few answers he cleared his throat to get Hank's attention.

Jeffrey leaned back a bit before he started talking, "I met Gavin for the first time when he was ten years old. Can you remember, the kid I told you about many years ago, that lived a few houses down next to mine?" 

"Yeah, I think I remember, you told me that the child's father was an alcoholic bastard who liked to beat up his son. That child was Gavin?"  

Jeffrey nodded, "Hmm, Yes. At first it was only a gut feeling, but damn. Sometimes I saw him and he had so many bruises, Hank. One day when he walked by my front yard, I tried to talk to him. I asked him what happened, if he was alright, but he just stared at me. He didn't say anything and walked away. I saw him the next day and asked again...and the next day."

Jeffrey paused a few moments to listened to the steady beeping and hissing sound that the ventilator made, as if to make sure that Gavin was still here and alive before he continued.

"I figured the boy wanted to find out if he could trust me. It went on like that for a few weeks and one day... he just stood in front of my damn front door." Jeffrey took a deep breath when the memories of this came up.

"His face was swollen and cut open and he could barely stand. I-... I had to take him to the hospital. After they treated him, I asked him what happened and he told me he fell off a tree. I had no evidence to press charges against Gavin's father, and few days after Gavin was released from the hospital, he came over again, to tell me that they were moving away."

 He let go of Gavin's hand to rub it over his face and breathed out slowly, "I didn't know what to do, I knew that kid wanted my help, but he was too afraid to really talk to me so gave him a card with my number on it, and told him to call me whenever he needed help."

A rustling sound made Jeffrey look up, and Hank moved away from the wall to sit on a chair on the other side of Gavin's bed. His friend's blue eyes watched him attentively while he waited for Jeffrey to continue.

"Three years later, in middle of the night, my phone rang. When I picked up all I heard was  sobbing and words like _'I can't take it anymore'_. It took me a few seconds to recognize Gavin. I asked him where he was, and he managed to tell me the name of the street and when I found him-...Hank...," Jeffrey didn't want to continue, but forced himself to do so. 

"Hank, Gavin tried to kill himself, he was only thirteen and he almost overdosed on drugs. I brought him to the hospital and a few days later to my house. Gavin's father had apparently left a few days before the kid called me, and didn't return."

Fowler's face slipped into an angry grimace, "I found the bastard a few days later in a morgue... he had apparently messed with the wrong people." 

Hearing all this made Hank's head swim, he almost couldn't believe it, "What happened to Gavin's mother? You haven't mentioned her." 

"She died in a car accident when Gavin was six years old. She left only a week earlier to escape her abusive husband."  

Hank closed his eyes, "Does he know?" 

Jeffrey raised an eyebrow and looked over to his friend with a scowl, "What do you think? Of course I told him. He didn't believe me at first and trust me the first few days he stayed with me were difficult, Gavin didn't want to eat or sleep."     

Fowler tighten his finger's around Gavin's hand a little, it was still cold in his own. That was all so wrong, Gavin should be full of life. Gavin was supposed to yell at him now for telling Hank about his past.

"I found no relatives and asked him if he wanted to stay...and he did. Gavin needed a long time to open up about his life, and what his father did to him."

Jeffrey let go of Gavin's hand and leaned back until he came into contact with the back of the chair, he was so goddamn tired. Jeffrey just wanted Gavin to wake up. He looked over to the monitors that kept recording Gavin's vitals and sighed.

Hank got up from his seat as he heard Jeffrey sigh and stretched, he was getting too old for the shit. He looked down at the other man and could see how tired his friend was, but he also knew how incredibly stubborn he could be. Jeffrey wouldn't go home, but a bit of fresh air would do them both some good.

The blue-eyed man approached his friend to nudge him by the shoulder, "Come on, let's take a short break and maybe drink a coffee. You look like you need it. You can tell me more later, if you want. Let Nines and Connor in for a few minutes, I bet Nines is out of his mind with worry by now." 

Fowler grimaced at first he wanted to decline, but Hank was right, a small break might help to calm his nerves a little.

When Jeffrey and Hank opened the door to leave the two androids were already standing in front of it. Both of their LEDs where colored in red, and he was sure that the two had heard every word of what he just told Hank.

Jeffrey squinted at the RK800 who looked back at him. Brown eyes met each other, and Connor lowered his head almost indiscernible, but Jeffrey took it as a sign of trust that the androids would keep whatever they just heard to themselves.

Connor smiled at Hank before the androids disappeared into Gavin's room while Jeffrey and Hank left to take a short break. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh….yea… :)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!!!  
> Tell me what you think?


	4. Chapter 4

Nines' mind and systems were running havoc and it got worse with each passing hour since the moment he knew that Gavin was in the hospital. He was grateful for the help he had received from Connor. If it weren't for his older brother, who managed to keep him calm, Nines was sure he would have self-destructed already.

Never before had his system reacted like this, otherwise he would never have been able to work alongside the detective and, sure, sometimes he behaved a bit more like a machine than a deviant, but only because he did not know any better yet.

And all because it was _Gavin_. _Gavin_ , who was _hurt_. _Gavin_ , who was in the _hospital_...Gavin, Gavin, _Gavin_.

Then there was Fowler, who told them of Gavin's adoption, to say that Nines was surprised about this new information would have been an understatement. But maybe it was an explanation for the many times in the past in which Fowler let Gavin go with only 'a slap on the wrist' instead of being suspended, or it was just that Gavin, beside Hank, was one of the best detectives working at the DPD.

He didn't say it out loud, but he wanted to storm inside Gavin's room while Hank and Fowler kept talking. At first it wasn't their intention to eavesdrop, but the longer he could hear Fowler talking the more he felt himself rooted to the spot.

Nines felt torn, of course he wanted to know more about his partner, but not like this, without Gavin's consent, or the chance for the detective to tell Nines about his past himself. His brother's hand brushed against his fingers and drove his focus back to the present and the door to Gavin's room opened.

Fowler, who was the first to leave, paused to look at his brother while a small spark of shame spread through Nines in the knowledge  that they were caught listening. A small movement by Connor seemed to be enough to calm Fowler as he and Hank left right after.

Finally it was his chance to see Gavin and while his mind went into overdrive again he pushed the door open just to stop as soon as he entered the room.

A hand touched the back of his shoulder, reminding Nines of his older brother's presence behind him, though, the younger android couldn't take his blue eyes away from the man on the bed.

Nines remembered his promise to Gavin not to scan him without his permission, but he could not help himself and his sensors began to work overtime to scan the detective. He did not like what his scans revealed, head injuries were unpredictable and therefore Gavin's survival rate fluctuated between 57% - 76%.

The younger android almost let out a static filled noise. His pump jumped in his chest and he wished he could run to hide himself from the reality that was in front of him.  

He flinched a bit when he felt Connor's hand wrap around his and  after a short tug he let his brother guide him to a chair, "Here, sit down, Nines."

While the RK900 settled stiffly onto the chair, Connor picked up another one to place it beside his brothers.

Nines was aware that humans were fragile and could die much more easily than androids, so it was illogical, but he had to fight down the urge to shake and scream at Gavin. To scream at the man until he woke up. Scream until his those grey eyes opened, he wished Gavin would snap at him for sitting here and call him a 'Stupid tin can'. Just, something, everything was better than the unfamiliar silence.

The urge to cry built up again and he looked over to his brother for help, their eyes met and for a moment Nines envied the older android for the calmness he emitted.  Connor gave him a reassuring smile as he reached over to Nines to wrap his fingers around his wrist, "Nines, the detective is strong. I'm sure he will recover, but you have to believe it too, alright?"

Nines bowed his head in acknowledgement, but started to shift around anxiously when another thought invaded his mind, "Connor, do you think the Captain blames me?"

Conner frowned, not expecting such a question and he was unsure what his brother meant, "Blame you for what?"

"I- I let-...Gavin is here because of me. I wasn't fast enough to shield him when the suspect attacked him. I was aware that Gavin got hurt...but I did not scan him, Gavin made me promise not to scan him without his permission. I should have insisted, or at least brought him to the hospital." Nines voice was trembling and he looked to the ground.

He was sure that Fowler was angry or at least disappointed with him for allowing Gavin to be injured.

"Captain Fowler doesn't blame you, Nines. He is aware that our job is dangerous and I'm pretty sure he knows that you like Gavin." Nines' head jerked up as he looked into Connor's brown eyes, a small knowing smile danced around his brother's mouth, "Remember, what was the first thing Fowler asked Hank when he called? He asked if you were with us. He wanted you to be here, Nines. If he blamed you, he wouldn't ask you to come here, much less let you inside this room to see Gavin."

What Connor said made him think and Nines had made his decision, now he could only hope that he would have the chance to tell Gavin about his feelings for him.

Nines pulled his chair closer to Gavin's bedside to take the detective's hand in his own, feeling the heartbeat drumming away under his fingertips. His thumb caressed over  little scars on his knuckles with small circles, though he wasn't even sure if the man would have allowed him to hold his hand when he was awake, and yet he could not let go.

The steady movements of his fingertips, along with the sensation of Gavin's blood rushing under his skin, alive and warm, reassured the android more than anything else.

They sat in silence when Nines all of a sudden felt Gavin's hand jerk under his own. He looked up only to see small almost unnoticeable twitches working trough Gavin's body.

The detective was having another seizure.

Before Nines could say or do anything several loud alarms blared through the room as Gavin's entire body began to convulse.

Nines froze, he could only watch in horror as Gavin's survival rate diminished rapidly.

He could feel Connor's grip on his arm and his brother pulled him out of the room while nurses rushed inside to stabilize the detective.

The younger android felt like something tried to crush his thirium pump, it felt heavy inside his chest and each too fast contraction of his heart was followed by dull pain. 

It was so unfair. He didn't ask to be able to feel such things. He stumbled one step backwards and dropped onto the chair behind him, trying to calm himself as hot, synthetic tears poured down his face. Out of the corner of his blurry vision, he saw Connor's LED flash red for a brief second.

"I alerted Hank and Fowler, they should be back soon." Connor knelt on the floor in front of his crying brother and whispered words of comfort.  

The two androids were left alone in the hallway.

Ignored by both the nurses and the doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed ?
> 
> Is it good or bad?  
> should I continue or na...
> 
> Let me know. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a short Chapter, Sorry. :(
> 
> I hope you still like it, tell me what you think in the comments?

It was dark outside when Hank and Jeffrey stepped outside the hospital doors, both were holding a cup of coffee in their hands.

For the first time in hours, they breathed in the fresh air, just a few minutes and they would head back inside.

A small snort came from Hank and Jeffrey looked at him, "What?"

"Was Gavin the reason you suddenly lost all your hair back then?" Hank's voice had a slightly teasing tone in it, and Jeffrey suppressed a grin of his own. "Fuck you, Hank."

Silence stretched between the two men while they drank their coffee. Why did coffee in hospitals always taste like shit?

"Jeffrey?" Hank's face turned pensive, "You said Gavin's father was an alcoholic."

"Yes, why?"

"Gavin's attitude towards me changed after I got to work drunk. Every time I showed up wasted at the precinct, or a crime scene, stinking of booze...I was a trigger...?"

Jeffrey's silence seemed to have answered the question and Hank let out a deep growl, "Damn it Jeff. I thought the kid was just being an asshole. Why didn't you say anything?!" Hank ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

Fowler gave a weary sigh, followed by an untypical shrug, "Because it wouldn't have changed anything. Hank, let's be honest. You didn't stop drinking when I, as your friend, asked you to, and you wouldn't have done it for Gavin either, even if you had known back then that he was my kid."

Jeffrey took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves, "Please don't take it personally, but you were a mean drunk. I was afraid of your reaction, not only towards Gavin, but to yourself too. I thought your self-destructive tendencies would have gotten even worse if you found out that I concealed something so important from you."

Dark brown eyes met blue ones, "Hank...I-. I know I hurt your feelings by not trusting you and I apologize. Believe me, it was a miracle that I got permission from the authorities to adopt Gavin at all. From the moment I held the adoption papers in my hand, and Gavin had moved in with me, it was important for me to protect the kid as much as possible. I have met dangerous people in my life and so have you..."

Jeffrey paused for a moment before he continued, "How many times have we been threatened? I just thought it would be safer for everyone to keep it a secret."

Both men looked at each other and Jeffrey could see in Hank's eyes that his friend understood the reasons for his decisions. "And yes Hank, Gavin is the reason I lost my hair." Jeffrey deadpanned.

Despite their situation, Hank almost laughed, but tried to hide it with a cough. "How? What did he do?"

Before he had the chance to answer, Hank's phone started ringing. He watched as his friend's face turned sour. "It's Connor, he wants us to come back, now."

Jeffrey had already turned around before Hanks could finish his sentence.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummm, Jeffrey Fowler is pretty much ooc.
> 
> And just as a warning, I'm not sure if there will be a happy ending.  
> I have written this story with two different endings...let me know what you want?

When the two androids came into view, Jeffrey thought the worst. Connor knelt down in front of a chair Nines was sitting on, trying to console his younger brother.  His eyes flickered to the closed door to Gavin's room and back to the androids again and his heart started to beat out of his chest. "Connor, what happened? Is he dead? What...?"

Connor looked up at him sharply, "NO! Gavin has another seizure. They sent us out..." 

Jeffrey looked to the closed door again and then up to the ceiling, sending a silent prayer.

Not much time had passed and everyone had calmed down a bit, when the door to Gavin's room opened.

The doctor stepped out and nodded at Fowler and the others. "Mr. Fowler, your son has, as you probably already know, suffered another seizure. It's not uncommon for patients to go through several before the anticonvulsants work. So far everything is unchanged and the next hours will tell us more. You may go back into the room." With a another nod, the doctor stepped away and left.

Hank let out a tired sigh, he was getting to old for this, he glanced at the clock and frowned, it was late and he promised Jeffrey to be at the station in the morning. There were only two people allowed to be in Gavin's room at the same time anyway, and he was pretty sure Nines wanted to stay for the time being.

"Jeff?" Hank addressed the other man, who had already taken a step towards Gavin's door.

"Yes?"

"I think Connor and I will go home now. I need a few hours of sleep before going to work tomorrow. Please call me if there is any news or you need anything, alright?" Jeffrey nodded and looked at Nines. The android twitched were stood and it was obvious to Fowler that the android didn't want to leave, though he asked anyway. "You want to stay here?"

Said Android nodded quickly, while communicating non-verbally with Connor. _'Is this ok?'_

Connor looked at the younger android beside him. _'You don't have to ask, Nines. But please remember that you can always reach out to me anytime, especially if you feel overwhelmed again. I love you brother'_

Nines smiled at his older brother, _'I know, I love you too.'_

Hank was just about to leave when he stopped. "What about Tina and Chris, they will ask were Gavin is."

Jeffrey didn't know if Gavin's friends knew about the whole adoption thing, he doubted it, though who was he to decline his friends to visit.

Jeffrey didn't know if Gavin's friends knew about the whole adoption thing, he doubted it, and  shouldn't forbid Gavin's friends from visiting him in the hospital, it could be the last time they saw him, "You can tell them where Gavin is and what happened, should we meet each other here, I'll answered their questions."

After saying goodbye, Jeffrey went to Gavin's room and waited outside the door for a few seconds before turning around to see if  Nines was following him. He didn't. He still stood rooted to the spot, his blue eyes fixed on the ground below. "Are you coming with me?" asked Jeffrey and the android looked up while he tilted his head questioningly, "If it's alright with you, Sir."

"Cut the _'Sir'_ right now, we are not at work, and I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you in here."  Jeffrey didn't wait for a response and went inside. 

It was as if nothing happened. Gavin was still connected to cables and tubes, while beeping and hissing noises filled the room. Jeffrey picked up a chair that had been pushed aside and placed it where he had previously sat. Nines did the same after he came in. 

They waited for hours, nurses examined Gavin every half an hour and only once, a nurse asked them to leave because visiting hours were long over, but after one look from Fowler, she hurried out.

Sometimes Jeffrey forgot that Nines was with him in the room, not once did the android  move or look at him, his eyes never strayed away from Gavin's still form.

The silence and stillness by the android began to irritate him and he wondered if it was his presence. Jeffrey was aware that sometimes he could be very intimidating, but so far he never felt that he could intimidate neither Connor nor Nines, and he could help but ask, "What is it with you? You are allowed to move and speak, you know?"

Nines looked at him with a forlorn expression on his face, "I don't know what to say. I-...don't know how to express what I'm feeling right now, but I think it's guilt, sadness, anger...and shame."

Fowler raised an eyebrow in confusion, he could understand that the android felt sadness and maybe even anger, but no guilt or shame. "Why do you think you feel guilty or ashamed? Oh, please don't tell me you feel guilty because Gavin got hurt." There was short flash of red on the android's LED that betrayed him.

"Ok, listen Nines. I will tell you this only once, I DO NOT BLAME YOU, you hear me?... Nines, look at me please." Reluctantly, blue eyes met his.

"Nines, I may be your boss, but here, right now, in this room, I'm just a man waiting for his son to wake up. And do you know who else is waiting with me? An android that has done something I've tried and failed at in the last month, hell, years even. To make Gavin happy."

While Jeffrey talked, the android had taken hold of his son's hand and entwined their fingers. Seeing how the android showed affection towards Gavin, he realized for the first time that Gavin's feelings for his partner were apparently not as one-sided as his son had thought.

"So no, I'm not blaming you and all I can ask for is that you talk to my son when he wakes up. Of course only if you want to. I know Gavin likes you. He told me so, but he won't ask anything of you. Gavin was hurt so many times in his life that the masks he puts on are not only there to keep himself safe, but also to keep everyone else at distance. Sometimes even me."

They looked at each other until Nines inclined his head in understanding and they sat in silence after that.

Hours went by, then a day, then two.

Fowler would leave for an emergency at the precinct, or for a short nap at home, but Gavin was never left alone. There was always someone with him, Nines, Connor, or even Hank.

The doctor told them that they managed to reduce the swelling in Gavin's brain, and that it was likely he would wake up from his comatose state soon. Now, five days after Gavin was hospitalized, his son was still connected to the ventilator.

Jeffrey sat alone at his son's bedside, Nines had to leave hours ago to help Hank and Connor on a case. It was quite late already and he fell asleep while running his hand through his son's hair. Something roused him shortly afterwards and he winced as he straightened and felt his neck and back creak in protest.

He looked to the younger man's face and frowned.

Was Gavin waking up?

He leaned over a bit and started to caress his fingers over Gavin's head again, while he gripped Gavin's fingers with his other hand, squeezing them gently.

"Gavin, can you hear me? Hey, come one, open your eyes for me. You kept me waiting long enough, everyone is waiting for you to wake up." In the background he could hear the steadily rising beeps of the heart monitor.

"That's it Gavin, please open your eyes. I know you can do it. Please, Gavin...I love you, kid. Please wake up." Jeffrey didn't stop talking, he was sure that Gavin could hear him, and not long after that, his son's fingers twitched underneath his hand.

However, Jeffrey was not prepared for his son to open his eyes so suddenly and immediately afterwards to gag around the breathing tube.

The older man placed his hand on his son's shoulder to keep him still, "Gavin, calm down, don't fight the tube. Let it breath for you." While he tried to keep the younger man calm, he pressed at the button to call for help.

It almost broke him to see the fear and confusion on Gavin's face. "Shhh, it's ok. You're save," Jeffrey whispered to the younger man as he placed a hand against the side of his son's face and felt him pressing back against his palm.

A tremble worked through Gavin's body as he tried not to fight against the tube in his throat.

Now they just had to wait for the nurses and doctor to arrive.

 


	7. Chapter 7

They waited only a only few seconds and when the doctor and nurses finally entered the room, he was pushed aside and watched as they sat Gavin up and told him to cough.

The sound that followed raised goose bumps all over Jeffrey's skin. A mixture of a pained whimper and gagging filled the room, but it was the sound that followed, that made his heart skip a beat. "Dad," his son's voice was so rough and the word was spoken so softly that he almost missed it.

It had been a long time since Gavin called him that, probably before the kid went to the police academy, if he remembered correctly. He was almost overwhelmed by the need to protect Gavin and the older man made his way over to the bedside, ignoring the doctor who tried to keep Gavin still.

"Sir, you have to leave now, please. We have to do some tests," a nurse tried to keep him from reaching out to his son.

"Let him calm down first, he just woke up." he growled at her before he turned back to Gavin's side.

Without success, Gavin tried to fight against the hands of the nurses and the doctor, his movements were weak and uncontrolled. The words that left Gavin's mouth were almost incomprehensible.

The doctor was pulled to a heavy frown, "Mr. Fowler, Mr. Reed needs to settle down, otherwise we may have to sedate him." 

"No, I let me try to calm him down first," said Jeffrey as he carefully cupped Gavin's face between his hands and tilted his head, so they could look into each other's eyes. "Shhh hey, kid, relax. I know you don't like hospitals, but you are save here. I won't leave your side, I promise. Let the doctor make his tests, after that you can rest some more." the younger man's tense muscles relaxed a bit under his hands. 

"Dad, wh's g'n on?"                                           

"Later, let's get over this first. Everything will be alright, I'm here." He leaned down and whispered an 'I love you, kid' right into his son's ear. After hearing those words, the last bit of fear that still lingered on his son's face vanished.

Fortunately, Jeffrey was allowed to stay near Gavin while he was checked over. Much to Jeffrey's relief, no lasting damages were found, but the doctor warned him, that injuries to the brain were complicated, and that Gavin could suffer for some time from sudden severe headaches, with the possibility of sudden mood swings and fatigue.

Later that day, he had contacted Hank about the news, who, in turn assured him to let everyone know. It was a surprise to him, that Nines didn't come to visit as soon as possible. Neither did the android show up for the rest of the day, or the day after.

Jeffrey frowned to himself, after the display of affection Nines had shown towards Gavin, he had not expected that the android would suddenly change his mind about everything, so he called Hank to ask him what was going on, but his friend was at a loss too.

The only thing Hank knew was that Nines behaved like a machine again and even Connor couldn't reach through to his brother  and Connor asked for help at Jericho. They assumed that Nines had code lines in him, which apparently activated on their own after being exposed to too much stress for too long, and they hoped it would fix itself after Nines spent a few days in a quiet environment.

Nines health was another concern in Jeffrey's mind now, but there was nothing he could do except wait.

The older men sat beside his son's side and checked his emails when a groan made him look up, it wasn't the first time his son had woken up in the last two days, but every time he did he was only half responsive before he slipped back to sleep again.

Jeffrey leaned forward a bit to get a better view, "Gavin? You with me now?" 

"Hmmmm, yeah. I feel like I was hit by fucking car. What the hell happened?" Gavin shifted in his bed and looked around in irritation, "When can I leave, I hate it here."

"You took a hit to head on your latest case and suffered a concussion you together with a swelling in your brain. If you ever do shit like that again, I- ...kid, you promised me to let me know if you got hurt. You had everyone worried sick. You could have died, Gavin! I saw you..." Jeffrey inhaled sharply to calm his nerves, "Gavin, if I hadn't come over that evening, I would stand in front of your grave right now. I would have lost you!"

Gavin didn't dare to look up at him, though Jeffrey could hear a faint, "I'm sorry".

The older man let out a tired sigh, "Gavin, look, I don't want you to be sorry. What's done is done. I just want you to promise me never to do that again. If you have the feeling that you might need medical help, or something else, I want you to tell me, or someone else if you don't want to talk to me." He walked over to sit on the bed beside Gavin's legs. His son looked at him and Jeffrey could see that tears had welled up in his son's grey eyes. 

"I promise. I am sorry. Please don't be angry. I didn't think it was that bad," a hiccup and sniff left Gavin, while he tried not to cry.

Gavin's behavior was strange, he would have expected a _'Fuck off'_ , or _'Yeah, yeah, whatever',_ or something like that, but not an apology and certainly not Gavin pleading with him not to be angry. It was very unlike him. That must be the mood swings or a change in behavior the doctor warned him about.

"I'm not angry, just worried. You've been here for a week now, and it's likely that you will stay here for another two days, at least. I am just incredibly happy that you are alright." Jeffrey gave Gavin's wrist a slight squeeze, before sitting down on his own chair again.

Gavin sat up a little more and looked around again, "Wait, where is Nines? I haven't seen him since I woke up the first time? Is he ok?"

He wondered what he should say to his son? That his partner had code lines in his system that apparently were able to suppress deviancy to a degree? That the android stayed at Jericho until it was fixed? Gavin wasn't stupid, he would find out anyway.

"Nines was here every day, but his systems couldn't handle the constant pressure and he' in Jericho right now. Hank told me it was temporary and should fix itself in a few days. Don't worry, he will be fine. You on the other hand should rest a bit, I'll see if can get you out of here earlier. I know you won't relax here." Something that looked like worry settled into Gavin eyes as he tried to relax back into the bed.

Jeffrey waited for his son to be asleep before he left to find the attending physician. It was a struggle, but he could take Gavin home the next day. Under strict instructions and under constant care, of course.

Gavin received the news with mixed feelings, on the one hand he was finally able to leave, on the other, there would always be someone near him for the next few days.

The younger man didn't even make to Jeffrey's house after they both left the hospital without falling asleep on the way, even when the older man dragged Gavin to his old room, he didn't wake up fully.

So it was surprising for Jeffrey to hear the shattering of glass in the middle of the night, fearing the worst, he jumped out of his bed and made his way over to Gavin's room, "Gavin! Are you okay? Hey, Gavin?"

Gavin looked at him in utter confusion. "Where am I? I don't remember leaving the hospital-...What- What's going on? I-..."

The older man crossed the room to get a better look at Gavin, his son's face was pale and sweat collected at the hairline. "You're home, in your old room. You were quite out of it when we left the hospital. How do you feel? You look like you have a fever..." He raised his hand to touch Gavin's forehead, but stopped when his son flinched away from him and closed his eyes.

Did his kid just really think Jeffrey wanted to hit him? The older man swallowed heavily and  slowly sat down on the bed. "Son? Please look at me. You know I would nev-."

Gavin interrupted him as his hand reached out to grip around his wrist, "Don't. I know...Sorry, I dreamed about-...about _him_. W- When he slashed my face open and I don't have a fever, it was just a fucking nightmare." Gavin let go of his wrist and ran a hand trough his now damp hair. Jeffrey could see the exhaustion on Gavin's entire body.

Nevertheless, both men didn't get any sleep for the rest of their night. Gavin decided to take a quick shower and something to eat while the older man cleaned the glass shards away. It was early in the morning when Jeffrey noticed the appearance even darker circles under his son's eyes.

He watched as Gavin sat on the couch in his living room. The younger man seemed so lost in thoughts he didn't notice when Jeffrey sat down beside him. "Hey kid, I think you should try to get some sleep."

Clouded grey eyes looked back at him, "I don't want to."

"Why?" Jeffrey studied Gavin closely, small almost unnoticeable tremors went through Gavin's hands. Then he realized why his son didn't want to sleep.

The nightmares his son hadn't had for years were back. Jeffrey remembered well the first few months after Gavin had come to live with him as Jeffrey woke in the middle of the night to the sounds of screaming and how he had raced to Gavin's room to find a distraught teenager, sobbing and shaking in fear.

The dreams had always been the same, Gavin's father attacking him, slashing at his face with a broken bottle, the beatings and abuse his adopted son had suffered at the hand of his real father.

Jeffrey moved to get the blanket and pillows from the end of the couch, draped the cushions at his side and pushed the blanket in Gavin's hands, receiving a confused look in return, "C'mon, lie down. I'll wake you when you get another nightmare."

Gavin frowned as he gripped the blanket firmly in his hands, "I'm not small a child anymore, I don't need to be coddled."

"I know that, but I also know you won't get any sleep otherwise. Gavin, we are alone here, no one will judge you. You need the rest."

After a short pause, a mumbled "Fine" could be heard and Gavin laid down. His head on the pillows, almost lying on Jeffrey's right leg. The older man was relieved, it went easier than expected. He turned on the TV, but didn't really pay attention. It hadn't taken long for Gavin to fall asleep and the first restless movements began.

In an attempt to stop the nightmares before they fully started, Jeffrey let his fingers run through Gavin's hair.

The older man didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he was shaken awake when he felt Gavin move away. Tired grey eyes looked back at him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. You should get some sleep, too. I just have to move around a bit."

"It's okay, kid. How do you feel?" Gavin didn't look so pale anymore. "Better, thanks. But-...I have a question. They know about the adoption?"

"Yes, under the circumstances that you could have died and now have Nines as a partner, I couldn't keep everything secret. Gavin I-."

"Did you tell them about... how we met? About my father? Who of them knows everything about me now? Can I ever show up at the precinct again without receiving pitying looks, or my coworkers talking behind my back?" Gavin's voice was tense and angry as his hands gripped the blanket next to him so hard that his knuckles went white.

Where did that come from so suddenly? Jeffrey wanted to reach out to Gavin, but he knew better than that. "I talked to Hank about everything, so yes, he knows. Tina and Chris only know about the adoption. They asked me after we met at the hospital. Tina was not very happy about it, but she said she wanted you to tell her when you're ready."

He could see how Gavin's face turned into an angry grimace."You know you can get back to work, right? I don't need you to look after me nonstop."

"But I want too. I won't let you stay on your own for the next few days." The older man knew that Gavin was displeased with this answer and Jeffrey sighed to himself as Gavin left the living room with angry strides until he closed the door behind himself loudly.

It wouldn't do either of them any good when Gavin chose to pull up the walls around himself now, like he tended to so now and then, but Jeffrey decided not to risk it and left for work.

It went like this for the next few days, until one day, after Jeffrey came home from work, he found a letter on the kitchen table saying that Gavin had decided to go home.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Gavin's POV:

Gavin was happy to be in his own apartment again. The first few days of Jeffrey hovering over him were nice, but after that it got on his nerves. He started to snap at the older man to leave him alone, and his adoptive father took it in strides, not once getting angry at him. Gavin felt like he was behaving ungrateful, he knew Jeffrey was just worried about him, but he hated the feeling of getting crowded, it was suffocating him. 

And now he had left like a coward, he left only a letter behind without a thank you, or something. He sighed to himself, he would call Jeffrey later to apologize and maybe ask him to come over if he wanted to.

He cleaned his apartment from all the dust that had started to collect on every surface and afterwards collapsed exhausted on his couch.

Damn, he was not in shape at all.  

Knocking on the door woke him up, it was just after noon. He grumbled under his breath on his way to the front door. His breath caught in his throat, Nines stood in front of him. He hadn't seen the android since the day before he was hospitalized. Jeffrey told him his partner visited until the day the android had to stay at Jericho. "Hello, Detective Reed." Nines voice was unrecognizable, it sounded too much like a machine, a shiver ran down his back.

Something was wrong, his instincts told him to run away...as fast as possible, but he stifled it and tried to keep his voice steady, "Umm, yeah hey Nines. Come in?" he stepped aside as Nines made his way to the living room, just to stop short mid-stride. The android's blue eyes bored into him after Gavin joined him in the middle of the room. He swallowed hard, what was going on? Something was definitely off here.

"Nines, if this is about...You know, the whole 'hit to the head' and everything, I am sorry, okay?  I've already promised Jeffrey that I will be more careful in the future.. I will promise that to you, too." Blue eyes stared right through him while the LED at the side of the android's head turned red. "Nines, hey. What's going on in that head of yours, hmm?" Gavin stepped closer, carefully, until they stood chest to chest.

He raised his hand to put it on the android's shoulder.

Nines flinched under it and suddenly his hand was held with such a crushing force it almost send him to his knees, and Gavin couldn't suppress a groan from leaving his mouth as he felt the bones in his hand grinding against each other. "Oww, fuck. NINES!! What the hell-...Nines? Nines, let me go. You are hurting me!" Gavin tucked at his hand, fuck. That hurt...

He looked around for something that might help him, his phone was on the coffee table. His gun? Shit!

Turning his head to look at Nines again, he saw confusion on the android's face while Gavin's phone started ringing nonstop in the background.

"Amanda, please don't do this. Don't make me do this!...Leave Gavin alone...No..please." Nines' voce was strained and filled with static noises.

"Nines, who is Amanda? Hey!!!" Gavin raised his other hand to push against the android's chest while he tried to get his other hand out of the tight hold.

It was in vain when Nines suddenly jerked him forward to wrap a hand around Gavin's throat. The android's hand felt like a noose and Gavin could only gasp for breath while he kept trying to speak.

His toes scrapped along the floor when Nines lifted him upwards. Oh fuck. Then he realized that his other hand was now free and he started to scratch along the synthetic skin and pull at the hand around his throat. No. No. No.

"Nnn...a...uuu..'ines..." dark spots appeared in his vision, he couldn't fight anymore, it wouldn't help anyway. The android was far too strong. Why was Nines doing this? Gavin didn't want to die....and to be murdered by someone he loved, was even worse.

In a last bout of strength he raised his palms to cup Nines' cheeks. He tried to concentrate on those blue eyes before him and as soon as their skin touched the grip around his throat eased. The sudden drop made Gavin stumble forwards unintentionally.  

He still had one hand on Nines' cheek and one on the androids chest. Gavin began to cough before finally fresh air poured into his oxygen starved lungs.  

Nines looked around frantically, "Gavin, listen. We have no time. You have to leave, now. I don't know how long I can hold Amanda back. Please go, please..." Nines was pushing him towards the front door as he looked around like they were followed by something.

"What the fuck was that? Nines, hey stop it. What's going o-..." Gavin was interrupted when Nines leaned towards him and sealed their lips together. The man's eyes widened in surprise, the android's lips felt warm and soft against his own.

Nines pulled back abruptly and he could practically see the apology on the android's face, "Gavin, I love you so much. I am so sorry. Please forgive me." Gavin had no chance to say anything, or to think of the words he had just heard when a fist hit him straight in the face and hot blood spurted from his nose and split lip.

Gavin didn't feel his body hit the hardwood floor, nor did he see the android fight with himself, clawing at his head to get out of Amanda's control.

Static noises filled the air as the android lost the fight.

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 RK900/Nines'  POV: 

The android, RK900, reborn as the perfect machine, he looked at the brown-haired man at his feet and watched as blood dripped down the side of the human's face in a steady trickle.

What a beautiful sight it was.

He straddled Gavin's unconscious body and wrapped his hands around the human's neck again. The RK900 began to clench his hands to finally get rid of this pest that made him feel...made him vulnerable.

Made him...feel love...love? No. NO. The RK900 tightened his grip, but on the inside _Nines_ cried and screamed in despair. _What was he doing? Stop, STOP! He could feel Gavin's heartbeat slowing down due to the lack of oxygen. Why couldn't he stop. Please...No. Not Gavin!! He was killing Gavin..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, I'm sorry …please don't kill me.


	8. Chapter 8

The repeated mantra of denial reverberated through Nines' processor as the android could only look down at his own hands and how they, ever so slightly, tightened their hold around Gavin's neck, turning already pale skin even paler with every second that went by.

All of a sudden the front door was kicked open and Connor raced inside to tackle the other android from Gavin’s unconscious body.

Connor kneeled on the ground, shielding the downed detective, while brown eyes never strayed from the younger android.

"Hello, Connor. It's so nice to see you again. I really missed our walks in the garden." Nines' voice was emotionless and at the same time strained with static. Connor's brows drew together with worry, pre-construction upon pre-construction ran through his min. How could he get Nines and everyone else out of this situation without any of them receiving lasting damages, or something much worse. 

"Amanda, I really can't say I missed you and I would really appreciate it if you let go of my brother right now. You can't win this. I already called for back-up and even if you should manage to get out, you won't get far." Connor stood up from his crouching position, ready to defend himself and Gavin.

A wicked smile spread over Nines' face. It was something so non-deviant, so lifeless and machine-like, it made Connor's artificial skin crawl, he never wanted to see his brother's face pulled to a grimace like this ever again. Anger spread through him like fire at the thought of Amanda using his brother like a mindless puppet.

The older android was determined that even if his chances of success were only a modest 42%, he would rather try and possibly fail than leave Amanda in control of his brother.

Drawing his synthetic skin away from his hands, he ran at full speed towards his brother. Just as he reached Nines and managed to lay his hands around his brother's face in hope to interface with him, a fist connected with his middle, right under his thirium pump.

Connor let out a wheeze when his knees collided with the floor and he was jerked upright by his hair only a second later, Connor felt his back bend backwards as Nines' hand increased his grip on his head and pushed.

Again, the older android was forced to look into his brother's distorted face, and in one last effort, Connor raised his hands, clawing at Nines' arms whilst trying to force them to connect.

Surprisingly, the skin on his brother's arms retreated and Connor could feel them interfacing.

 "Don't you dare, Connor!! I won't let you do that. RK900 is mine...I will not los-..." The older android pressed his hands against Nines' skin and felt Amanda fight against him. Nine's face twisted and he began to hiss in anger.

A smile spread over Connor's face when he realized that deep inside his brother's coding the younger android was still present, struggling to get free.

It only took a few seconds for Connor to force the younger android into stasis. He could feel how Nines' grip on his hair slackened and before his brother could crash to the ground, Connor caught him and laid him down carefully.

Although he was sure that Nines was safe for the time being, he felt torn between staying with his brother, or checking on the detective, however, Gavin was more important right now.

He made his way over and kneeled beside Gavin's still form to let his fingertips carefully glide over the man's bruised neck. The android let out a relieved sigh as his scanners didn’t detect any lasting damages.

The detective had a bleeding nose and a massive bruise around his throat, but other than that he was fine. Gavin was breathing on his own, his heart rate was steady and strong.

Relieved, Connor slipped his arms underneath Gavin’s knees and shoulder and raised him carefully onto the couch. As Connor gazed down, he felt his pump stutter in his chest at the sight of Gavin so still and vulnerable.

What if he had arrived a minute later?

Gavin would have been dead by then and Nines? He looked back at his brother.

Nines would never have forgiven himself if he had been responsible for the death of the detective.

Connor had tried several times to contact Gavin as soon as he realized that Nines had disappeared from Jericho and when his calls went unanswered, he had feared the worst.

While he was on his way to Gavin's apartment, he had contacted Hank to let him know of the possible danger Gavin was likely to encounter. Connor was sure that Hank and Captain Fowler would arrive soon.

Once again, he examined the detective's health before turning to Nines, who lay still on the ground. He just couldn't leave his brother on the cold floor. Connor sighed heavily and turned to the door as he heard footsteps running up the stairs. Fowler was the first to enter with a gun in his hand, followed by Hank.

The gray-haired man walked over to the brown eyed android, eyes full of concern as he looked between him and Nines. "Connor, what the hell happened?" Before Connor could answer, he was interrupted by Captain Fowler's deep voice.

Fowler was kneeling beside Gavin in front of the couch, "Connor, did you call for an ambulance?"

"No, I scanned Detective Reed, it shouldn't be necessary. Nothing is broken, no concussion, just a slightly swollen neck and deep bruising that will be pretty painful in the next few days. I managed to get Nines away before any irreparable damage could be done." Connor turned back to Hank when he felt a hand on his shoulder. They really needed to tend to Nines now, he hoped that he could help his brother.

Connor scanned the layout of the apartment and decided to use the room to his left, which apparently had been Detective Reed's room.

"Hank, help me get Nines into Gavin's bedroom," Hank raised an eyebrow at Connor's request, "I don't want Nines sitting in a car, if he wakes up on the way to Jericho, it would be too dangerous. I can try to help him here."

Together they picked up Nines and carried him to Gavin’s bedroom. Connor felt a little uneasy in the knowledge that he entered the room without asking, but it was far better than letting his brother lie on the floor.

 

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The longer Jeffrey knelt in front of Gavin and tried unsuccessfully to wake him, the more he doubted Connor's words that his kid was fine. Why was it always him that got hurt?

The older man had so many questions for Connor right now. He was particularly interested in the answer to what had caused Nines to attack his son… damn.

It felt as if only a few minutes had passed since Hank came barging into his office and told him that Gavin might be in danger because of Nines, just the thought made his skin crawl.

"Gavin, come on, wake up. Don’t do that to me again, you hear me? The last few weeks were more than enough," Of course, Jeffrey didn't get an answer and decided to get some ice packs from Gavin's freezer. It would help a bit with the bruises, though in the end, he also fetched a bowl of warm water and a few towels to remove the dried blood on his son's face.

He dabbed at Gavin's right cheek when the younger man began to groan, strained and painful, no doubt caused by the swollen nose and throat.

"Son, can you hear me?" He placed a hand on Gavin’s forehead and pushed a few strands of hair to the side, grey eyes started to blink open and stared up at him in confusion. "Hey, kid. You with me now?"

"Hmmm, yes, I think so. Urgh, fuck, my face." Gavin raised his hands to touch his nose, but was stopped by the older man.

"Don’t, let me clean your face first. You still look like a crime scene. Connor scanned you before we got here, he said nothing is broken, but you will have a big bruise around your neck and face for a while. Just lie still for a few moments."

Gavin nodded and turned his face to allow Jeffrey to remove the remainder of the dried blood. His son winced as he touched the split lip and swollen nose. After he finished, Gavin tried to sit up, only to lie down again in exhaustion.

"What happened after I passed out? Nines, he just stood in front of my door and it was like-... it wasn’t really Nines. He started to talk to someone named Amanda? Fucking hell, he tried to kill me, he tried to…fuck. Where is he now?" asked Gavin, and Jeffrey let a hand rest on Gavin's upper arm to keep him calm.

"Connor and Hank have brought Nines to your bedroom, and to answer the rest of your questions, I don't really know what happened, just that Connor called Hank and asked us to come here as soon as possible. Tell me exactly what happened." asked Jeffrey.

He listened to Gavin as he described exactly what had happened but Jeffrey couldn’t wrap his mind around it. Did that mean that Nines could have killed Gavin at any given moment? That he partnered his son together with an android that could be controlled by something?

He looked up at Gavin when his son managed to sit up, the bruises around the neck were extreme, but Gavin didn’t seem to have any problems with his breathing.

"Gavin, in all earnest, please, do you think you might need to be checked out at the hospital?" The older man could not help himself and had to ask.

His son shifted around until he shook his head, "No, everything kinda hurts. My throat feels like it's on fire or something, but otherwise I'm fine, I promise."

Jeffrey nodded, still worried about his son's well-being. "I'll hold you to that, kid."

The door to Gavin's bedroom opened and Hank stepped out, without Connor, walking towards them and sat down beside Gavin. Hank looked up and down and winced as he saw the dark handprints and bruises on the younger mans' skin. "Are you alright, Reed?"

Gavin shrugged with his shoulders as if nothing had happened and at the same time drew his eyebrows together before answering, "Yes, I'm sore, could use some more painkillers. Tell me what happened to Nines. Is he alright?"

Anderson sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned back into the cushions. "You better ask Connor when he comes out, he just sends me to tell you that he's trying to help Nines regain his control, and wait here until he gets us."

Gavin scoffed angrily, "Are you shitting me right now? You telling us you don't know anything? I can't believe this shit."  

Jeffrey could see how riled up Hank was and interrupted his friend before he could say another word, "All right, that's enough, both of you calm down. It won't help anyone if you both yell at each other now. But let me tell you Hank, should it happen that Nines becomes a danger to us, I won't hesitate for a moment and shoot him." Both, Gavin and Hank flinched at this, and Gavin opened his mouth in protest, only to shut it immediately when he saw the seriousness on his father's face.

Jeffrey could feel anger and a little fear spreading through his chest, he too wanted to know what was going on? He believed his old friend when he said that he didn't know what was going on. Nevertheless, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were in danger.

What if Connor failed? Maybe he should take Gavin and leave immediately, if the RK900 really had his eyes set on his son, it would certainly be safer to leave than to stay here.

Jeffrey's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Gavin leaned a bit in his direction, "I won't."

 Jeffrey looked at Gavin and raised one eyebrow in question? "You won’t what?"

His son looked at him before answering,  "Leave, I know that look on your face. You want to bring me somewhere save. No way am I leaving now. Don't even start discussing it with me. I won't change my mind. I just- I don't want to leave Nines alone."

Jeffrey groaned, fine then, so be it.

As the minutes went by, Jeffrey could feel his son leaning in his direction until Gavin's head rested lightly on his shoulder. In the end, the fatigue had won, and his son began to fall asleep.

All three of them sat in silence, waiting for news, and Jeffrey began to hope inwardly, that no matter what Connor had to say in the end, it would be good news, because he was not prepared to see the devastation and sadness in his son's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)


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